Indians Prospect Insider

Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at the performances by Indians prospects throughout the system each day. In this special winter ball version of ATF the IBI's Arthur Kinney recaps all the offseason action by Indians players in Caribbean Leagues on Friday night noting the big night from Anthony Gallas and more...

Have you finished your holiday shopping yet? In this MLB News and Notes segment, the IBI's Andrew Zajac will be giving occasional reports on the latest news and rumors throughout the MLB. Today's piece focuses on the Padres stockpiling bats, the Giants finding a third baseman, the Yankees making a trade, and more.

The Indians made a surprising decision with the starting rotation this week signing Gavin Floyd to a one-year deal, guaranteeing him a rotation spot, and pushing one Danny Salazar or T.J. House out of the rotation. The IBI's Tony Lastoria tries to make sense of it all and explains the rationale behind adding a veteran starter like Floyd to mix in with a rotation that has so much promise.

One of the hallmarks of Cleveland’s minor league system is it’s up-the-middle depth, a characteristic that was on full display Thursday. Whether it was Roberto Perez showing some pop, Ronny Rodriguez serving as a sparkplug off of the bench, or someone else, Cleveland’s up-the-middle depth looked good. Join Jim Piascik as he breaks it down and takes you across the globe as he takes you Around the Farm.

Happy Friday! In this MLB News and Notes segment, the IBI's Andrew Zajac will be giving occasional reports on the latest news and rumors throughout the MLB. Today's piece focuses on the Athletics trading away another All-Star player, the Royals ink another starter, the Red Sox looking to trade Allen Craig, and more.

The AL Central has been one of the most predictable, uncompetitive divisions in the majors for years. There always seems to be a tight race at the top, as well as a legitimate contender who stands alone. Next season appears to be different. The AL Central as a whole has greatly improved in recent weeks, and with the conclusion of the Winter Meetings the gap between teams in the division appears to have shrunk. So with the offseason in full swing, how does each team stack up piece-by-piece? The IBI's Anthony Kaylor ranks the rotations...

This past season the Indians had back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 13 years, Corey Kluber won the AL Cy Young award and Michael Brantley finished third in the MVP voting. While it was a better season than most will admit, IBI newcomer Len Kehoe digs deep to find all sorts of interesting stats and nuggets to show how good of a season 2014 was for the Indians...

Wednesday saw another Cleveland minor leaguer make his first appearance in nearly two months, with Charlie Valerio returning to game action. On the opposite end of the spectrum, one of the stars of the offseason for Cleveland -- Giovanni Soto -- took his usual turn in the rotation, his first appearance since going unselected in the Rule 5 draft last week Join Jim Piascik as he breaks down Valerio’s return, Soto’s start, and much more as he takes you Around the Farm.

After it was rumored all day the Padres, Nationals and Marlins put the finishing touches on a massive three team deal that had 11 players changing zip codes. The big name was outfielder Wil Myers going to the Padres, and the IBI's Tony Lastoria provides the details from that trade and all the other news from the day...

The Indians struck again on Tuesday making 31-year old pitcher Gavin Floyd their second significant offseason acquisition. While the addition of Floyd means that the Indians likely will have to send a good starter to Triple-A Columbus to start the season, the IBI's Graydon Fox believes it is a good thing and that the Indians starting pitching depth should provide them options.

With the signing of Gavin Floyd on Tuesday, Indians GM Chris Antonetti confirmed to the media that four of the five spots in the starting rotation are locked up with Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco, and Floyd (in no specific order). That leaves one final spot left in the rotation. IBI newcomer Josh Poloha talks about the four candidates for the final spot and picks the one he thinks is the best fit right now.

Several new Indians faces popped up in winter ball action on Tuesday night. With several of the leagues set to end this weekend with the holidays fast approaching, some younger lesser used players on the "B" teams are getting an opportunity. One of those players is promising Anderson Polanco. The IBI's Arthur Kinney provides the details on his outing and the rest of the Indians in action on Tuesday...

The Major League Baseball offseason continues to surprise as yet another big deal appears to be happening with Wil Myers changing location from the east coast to the west coast. The IBI's Tony Lastoria provides the details on that potential deal plus all the other news and notes from Tuesday...

The Cleveland Indians have signed free agent right-handed pitcher Gavin Floyd to a one-year $4 million deal for the 2015 season. The deal also includes an additional $6 million in performance bonuses tied to the number or starts he makes and innings he pitches next season. The IBI's Tony Lastoria shares the details...

The popular approach in Cleveland these days is to ridicule the Indians for their lack of activity this offseason, but if you step back and look where this team is now compared to two years ago at this time it is amazing the turnaround they have enjoyed. The IBI's Tony Lastoria takes a look at the key players in their turnaround, manages expectations with Jose Ramirez and Jason Kipnis, talks about a sleeper minor league signing and more.

It was a light night Around the Farm for the Indians as the Dominican Winter League was off and the Puerto Rico Winter League was rained out, but there was still action in Mexico and Venezuela. The IBI's Tony Lastoria checks in and provides updates on several players including a deceivingly good showing from Anthony Gallas.

Getting the itch for Spring Training yet? In this MLB News and Notes segment, the IBI's Andrew Zajac will be giving occasional reports on the latest news and rumors throughout the MLB. Today's piece focuses on the Yankees re-signing Chase Headley, the Royals making another splash in free agency, the Dodgers make a risky signing, and more.

It’s not really a big issue at the moment, but the Indians have a very interesting battle brewing among three players for two spots in the middle infield. While Jose Ramirez and Jason Kipnis are set to open the 2015 season as the Indians keystone combination, top prospect Francisco Lindor is expected to change all of that a month or two into the season. The IBI's Tony Lastoria takes a look at the three and how they fit into things at the moment...

The Cleveland Indians today announced they have signed free agents catcher Brett Hayes, outfielder Destin Hood, catcher Adam Moore and first baseman/outfielder Jerry Sands to minor league contracts with non-roster invitations to Major League camp.

The annual Major League Baseball Winter Meetings took place this offseason in San Diego last week and most of the biggest moves just happened to be made inside the American League Central division. In what was already a competitive division in 2014 in which three of the five teams finished eight games above .500 or better, all five teams made moves to better themselves in 2015 and beyond. The IBIs Kevin Sledz takes a look at each team and what they did in the past week…

Available IBI Books

The 2014 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider book featuring the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is now available. Also, previous editions from 2008-2012 are also available at a discounted rate. Just click on the book image for more information. Thanks again for all the support!